How to Sell Unsexy Services (To People That Actually Need Them)

Read time: 3 minutes

People are drawn to what they want — not what they need.

And these “people” I’m referring to…they include you and me, too.

• money

• time

• higher status (or praise)

• greater comfort

• better health

• pain avoidance

• love

And we want them bad.

But this doesn’t mean we’re wrong to want these; it just means if you aren’t talking about these, people aren’t listening.

This is why you (as a needs provider) often feel overlooked or ignored despite the exceptional value you offer.

You’re a needs provider.

You’ve got an unsexy service that actually solves an underlying problem. I know this because you’re reading this. You deliver exactly what people need — and it's valuable. But it probably goes a bit unnoticed.

Your problem is promoting it as a need, not a want.

Use the Trojan Horse Strategy

The Trojan Horse strategy is a powerful marketing strategy.

It's designed to capture attention on what people “want” and then pivot to deliver what they need. It is about engaging and educating the importance of what they need and how it relates to their wants.

To be clear, I'm not advocating for drawing attention in some cringe-worthy manner.

I mean, engage them so they feel heard and show them how you can solve the underlying problem.

Consider these three personas:

• The Business Owner: They want to increase sales. But they need a robust marketing system and an efficient operating process.

• The Creator: They want more attention. But they need a deep understanding of human psychology. And how to craft compelling headlines with valuable content.

• The Executive: They want to be a thought leader. But they need to develop an authoritative stance on a specific topic, not try to appeal to everyone. And develop the right mindset to do so.

For years, I sold a need.

But I’ve used this strategy in my own business.

I’m a strategy consultant to help business owners build profits. I sell the want of making more money, but I show them how to think holistically, strategically, and creatively about the business. And I help them leverage great thinking to drive long-term, sustainable results…not band-aid fixes.

I believe in building durable empires, not one-hit wonders.

I also do this here in this newsletter.

• You want a higher status.

• You want to respect for the great work that you do.

• You want to be seen as a person of ambition, intelligence, and excellence.

And you want to leverage all these to build wealth.

I know this because I’m like you.

I know it demands great thinking, sound judgment, and skillful action. This is why I share insights, lessons, and how-tos to simplify decision-making by helping you think with impact.

But if I pitched it that way only, it doesn’t capture attention.

So I must tap into human psychology - but deliver on the real goods and promise.

Why the Trojan Horse strategy works

• Engagement: It captures people's attention by addressing their immediate desires. In a world inundated with information, standing out is crucial.

• Transformation: It guides individuals toward understanding the connection between their wants and needs.

• Trust-Building: You build trust by delivering on your promises and fostering long-lasting relationships.

• Impact: You drive meaningful, long-term impact by addressing root causes, not superficial symptoms.

The Trojan Horse strategy can also be an execution strategy. Because educating is not always enough. Sometimes, you must give people what they want, so you build the trust to provide them with what they need long-term.

This strategy is not selfish, nor is it selfless.

It’s both.

But that’s business. Life is business. You receive compensation for the value you provide. And the person receives the need to get them to their want in a way that solves the problem.

Engage them in what they want so you can give them what they need.

Here’s the two most interesting posts I read this week:

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Welcome to Impact Thinking.

Hi, I’m Peter. I quit my highly-regarded, 6-figure job at Harvard to build a strategy consulting company in 2019.

Hard work is a respectable characteristic, but it’s limiting. You need leverage. And I’ve seen first-hand that thinking is the greatest form of leverage.

Every Thursday, you learn to think with impact.

• Ditch the noise

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